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Monday, January 30, 2012

I love blueberries and I adore red velvet cake so it wasn't a stretch of the imagination

to combine the two into this stunner of a cake. The plump juiciness of the berries with their velveteen inkiness is so beautiful against the rich scarlet hue of the sponge. And then there's the cream cheese frosting... swoon!

Photographs by Angie Lazaro

Red Velvet Loaf Cake with BlueberriesServes 6-8

120g butter, softened

300g castor sugar

2 eggs

15g cocoa powder

2 tbsp red food colouring

1t vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

300g cake flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp white wine vinegar

400g icing sugar

100g butter, softened

250g cream cheese

2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup water

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 cup castor sugar

Preheat oven to 170C. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat on high while adding the eggs one at a time. In a seperate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, colouring and vanilla to make a thick paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix very well. Beat slowly while adding half the buttermilk and half the flour. Mix well before adding the remaining buttermilk and flour. Beat on high until smooth. Add salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and mix well. Spoon into a lined 30 x 25cm rectangular baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until springy to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack. For the icing, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Place in a piping bag. Cut the cake to form three 10 x 25cm rectangles and pipe the icing in-between each layer. Simmer the blueberries, water, zest, lemon juice and castor sugar until reduced and glossy. Allow to cool. Top the cake with the blueberry compote.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Adam and Eve may have opted for the leaves to spare their
blushing, but it’s the luscious plump and fragrant figs that are summer’s most
delicious treasures – and, while the best way to eat figs is out of hand and
still warm from the sun, their jammy sweetness makes them irresistible in both
sweet and savoury fare.

Photographs by Gunther

Gräter

It’s fig season and the endless culinary possibilities that
these luscious fruits bring are as countless as the number of tiny seeds each
holds. The sweet, juicy fruit that is so prized now is said to be the oldest
fruit recognized by man and, although Adam and Eve best employed the leaves of
the fig tree by sewing them together to form an apron to preserve their
modesty, it is a rather useful fact to keep in mind that the sap of the plant
is actually an irritant – so wearing a fig leaf is, shall we say, not
particularly recommended. Rather, don a more sensible apron and get into the
kitchen as figs’ ability to take centre stage in starters, mains and desserts
is a treasured trait. Aside from the potassium, iron and calcium that figs
boast, they provide more fibre than any other common fruit of vegetable. The
fibre in figs is both soluble and insoluble and is important for good health.
It’s also interesting to note that figs contain a special chemical which helps
extend the freshness and moisture of baked goods as well as one that promotes
tanning in the sun.

For a delicious starter, bless the tops of the figs with a
kiss made by a knife, firmly squeeze their swollen bellies to reveal the
raspberry-coloured fruit inside and then envelop the fresh figs in a blanket of
salty-sweet prosciutto. A stuffing of rich goat’s cheese, a flurry of cracked
black pepper and an anointing of the best fruity extra-virgin olive oil and a
hot oven awaits. Roast until the edges of the ham are slightly charred and
crisp and the crimson flesh inside warm and succulent. The figs need a mere
scattering of peppery rocket leaves and a swift glug of aged balsamic vinegar.
Whichever way you choose to enjoy the humble fig, do it outdoors to savour
their sweet taste of summer.

Toffee figs with grilled Christmas cake

(serves 6)

2 cups caster sugar

1 cup water

6 black figs

6 pieces Christmas cake or pudding

2T melted butter

vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Place sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook,
without stirring, for 8–10 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat
to high, bring to the boil and cook for 7–8 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from heat and, using a fork, carefully dip figs into toffee. Place on a
baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and set aside to cool and harden.
Brush the Christmas cake with butter and grill on a griddle pan. Serve
immediately with vanilla ice-cream and the toffee figs.

DID YOU KNOW?

Figs are not actually a fruit but rather flower receptacles.
Like other blossoms, they bud straight from the branch and the fruit actually
lies inside the fleshy bulb consisting of the seed-like parts.